Well it's that time of year…
My daughter is about to start year 8 in Melbourne and I just got presented with the book list, a week before after much asking (teenagers).
The school has an in house shop system - not sure who with but it adds up to nearly $400…. Got my tightarse senses tingling. There has to be a cheaper way!
So, starting tomorrow, my task is to track down better deals for the various titles. I'll start by checking Academic and General in the city.
From there I'm fresh out of ideas.
Does anyone know of any school book discounters?
Reliable Ebay shops?
High School Text Books
LKing Tightarse on 26/01/2009 - 18:36
Comments
Im wondering what happens after year 8 with the textbooks? Do they become recycling paper? That is a very shit system if the school is asking you to buy $400 books and become useless after a year.
What my school had was a renting system, pay a years worth of rent, which might be $120-$140 for the years books and return them at the end of the year.
I have had great success buying a lot of my kids high school books on eBay over the last few years. Saved absolutely heaps! And made heaps reselling them :)
It's not really the eBay stores that will have the bargains, it's the small sellers just getting rid of their kids books like I did. Search for each one individually. Set up a favourite search for the hard to get ones and any others for that matter if you don't find something your happy with straight away. Try, if possible, to check a few times a day in case a Buy It Now is put on with a good price, these get snapped up quick.
Don't forget to factor in postage price or if you can pick it up.
(this is how we bought my books when i was at school - in order)
1. Second hand - friend, bookshops etc
2. Bellbird Books (or other similar places that are 'budget' distribution centres.
3. The schools 'rip off' book selling companyThanks guys
I've been on it today.
The school's in house kickback program is the dearest by far.
Here are the best prices for the troublesome ones so far using Booko …RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONTo know worship and love year8 2nd edition
ENGLISHJoan of Arc - Wilkinson $15.95 Big W
Pip the story of olive- Kane $13.56 Lamonts
FRENCHTapis Volant Level 1 student textbook 2nd edition- Chamberlain $43.95 Dymocks
Tapis Volant level 1 workbook inc audio - Dymocks $29.50
Oxford French School dictionary A&R $12.99
HUMANITIESHumanities alive 2 VELS Edn Text/Cd revised edition - Saldais $57.95
JAPANESEObento Deluxe - Student book 2nd edition - Williams Dymocks $45.50
obento Deluxe - workbook and cd Dymocks $29.50
MATHSMaths for Victoria Year 8 - text and cd pack - Bull et al Big W $51.54
Still over $300!
@Car-la-la
That is lovely, kind offer Car-la-la.
I have posted the list above.Can't immediately see how we do private messages here… could be me - no aircon!
I don't know if this site works for highschool books, but for my uni books I always look on textbookexchange.com.au its saved me hundreds of dollars!
Sorry King Tightarse, we don't have any of those books.
It's crazy really- so many textbooks all for the same subjects - paid a small fortune for them all then used once then becoming landfill shakes headHey there. Try eBay. Unfortunately its too late now (most people sell from early decembe - right through till late january), however i ended up picking up $650 worth of VCE Textbooks for under $150. Plenty to choose from, and a hell of a lot cheaper. (The cheapest book i picked up this year was 'Maths Quest 11 - General Maths Advanced B'. Book was in as new condition, and cost me 99cents plus 8bucks shipping.
eBay might still have some stuff, but you can also try gumtree
:-)
Thank you VERY much to those that commented.
I'm on Ebay now, following the listings…we'll see. I have until Sunday, well Saturday really because I'll have to bite the bullet and pay full retail by the the end of the weekend if no dice.
Gee, it's a tidy little cartel, that school book market.
All those soft cover texts books averaging $50-$60. Sure, I appreciate that the research and expert work that goes into them has a value but no discounting at all from the RRP it seems. I guess they have you by the curlies at the start of the year and they know it.
I will be all over this properly at the end of this school year, as we prepare for 2010…assuming we still have an economy/functioning society ;)
i don't know of any cheap shops to find school books, but our household certainly has a heap… and the majority of them as recent as last year.
i'm also in melbourne- if you want to shoot me an email or private msg saying which books you are after i'll let you know if we have them
cheers,
Carla